EU investments of more than a billion euros have not produced “concrete results” in the aquaculture sector, according to the European Court of Auditors (ECA). The stagnant industry fears the associated administrative costs.
After tripling its spending on aquaculture between 2014 and 2020, the EU is now left without results, according to a report by EU auditors published on Wednesday (15 November).
Aquaculture, also known as fish farming, takes place in marine or inland waters, as well as in land-based facilities equipped with water circulation systems.
The development of sustainable aquaculture is one of the objectives of the Farm to Fork Strategy, the flagship of EU food policy. Aquaculture is promoted as a source of protein with a smaller ecological footprint.
But despite the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund allocating €1.2 billion to aquaculture for the period 2014-2020 and another billion for the period 2021-2027, auditors believe this has not translated into concrete actions .
“A lot of money has been allocated [und] much of it was not used,” the auditors stated.
A high administrative burden could explain the low use of funds. The commission blamed “long” and “uncertain” approval processes for a lack of willingness to invest, the report said.
The auditors found that difficult access to water also harms fish farming. Planning is the key to “resolving conflicts [zwischen Aquakultur und] the tourism, fishing and maritime transport sector,” Matteo Tartaggia, member of the CEA, told journalists.
However, some Member States, including Italy, Greece and Romania, had not yet completed their maritime spatial planning at the time of the audit.
The European Court of Auditors’ report also raises concerns about the lack of clear objectives. “EU countries financed almost all eligible projects, regardless of their contribution to environmental and climate protection,” said Nikolaos Milionis, who led the audit. According to him, the selection criteria “were not very strict”.
Funds for 2014-2020 must be spent by the end of this year. “There is a risk that the available money will not be spent on the most promising projects,” Tartaggia added.
Despite the EU’s commitment to increasing the competitiveness of the sector, the ECA found a stagnation in production volumes and a decline in employment in the aquaculture sector since 2014.
In 2020, total EU aquaculture production was 1.1 million tonnes, less than one percent of global production. Two thirds of fish farming in the EU is concentrated in four Member States: France, Spain, Italy and Greece.
Lack of environmental indicators
The EU has failed to monitor the potential environmental impact of food production, auditors say.
“We were unable to find a single set of indicators to assess the ecological footprint of aquaculture,” Tartaggia said.
According to the report, the Commission is working on developing a guide with these indicators.
Potential environmental harms from aquaculture include habitat damage and pollution, as well as algal blooms caused by nutrient accumulation.
Greece, the fourth largest aquaculture producer in the EU, is expected to be among the Member States with the greatest environmental impact, the report states.
The majority of Greek aquaculture production consists of marine fish, which require more food than shellfish and pollute marine waters more heavily.
Finally, Tartaggia noted that at this point the environmental impact is still localized and reversible.
[Bearbeitet von Gerardo Fortuna/Nathalie Weatherald/Kjeld Neubert]